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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pop — to visit
  6. game — a match
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — soda
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — a container
  18. pop — music
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com